Tank-heater



. (No Model.) Y S S. D. STRONG.

TANKHBATBR.

Patented Mar, 3, 1896.

INVESTOR I WITNESSES:

- ATTORNEY @M/ ,WQ

ANDREW B.GRANAIIL FMOTO-LI'I'NOIWASNINGTONVD C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL D. STRONG, OF HOMER, MICHIGAN.

TAN K-HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,667, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed December 23, 1895. Serial No. 578,059. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL D. STRONG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Homer, Calhoun county, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank-Heaters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof.

This invention relates to devices adapted for heating fluids contained in tanks, and the means embodying this invention are particularly adapted for tempering the water in livestock-feeding tanks.

A tank-heater embodying my invention is provided with a bottom and walls so as to pro vide a chamber below the level of the fluid in the tank, and within this chamber are placed an oil burner and fount, and the heat from this oil-burner is the effective means for heating the water in the tank. I have found in use that water of condensation is formed in comparatively large quantities within such a chamber, this water of condensation-resultin g from the so-called sweating at the inner surface of the walls of the chamber-that is to say, the condensation of water .brought about by the contact of the heated air within the chamber against the comparatively cool walls of the chambera result which is probably contributed to by the water formed as one of the products of the combustion at the burnerand I utilize this condensed water for cooling the oil-fount, and thus preventing all danger of explosion, by providing an overflow-conduit extending out from the chamber so as to drain off all fluid collecting within the chamber to about the level of the top of the oil-fount, and thus an immersion of the oil-fount is maintained and the water surrounding the fount slowly changed. Accorda tank-heater embodying my invention, the heater being shown in operative position within a tank. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tank-heater with the cover removed.

A box or casin g a, preferably of sheet metal and, as shown, of rectangular form, having a bottom and sides and made water-tight, comprises the main part of the outer casing of my improved tank heater. This box a is adapted to be placed within a tank, and may rest upon the floor or bottom of the tank, and, as shown, is placed within an elongated rectangular tank 19, preferably near one end thereof. A conduit or pipe 0, shown as horizontal, extends from one side of the box a near the bottom thereof and out thro ugh the end of the tank, this pipe being an overflow and air-feeding conduit, as will be hereinafter described, and another conduit or pipe d extends downward vertically from above the water-level of the tank and enters the box a at a point preferably slightly higher than the air-feeding and overflow pipe 0, this latter pipe dbeing an air-feeding conduit, as will be hereinafter described.

Straps a a are shown forholdin g the tankheater in place, one of these straps passing over the overflow and air-feeding pipe 0 and the other over the elbow of the air-feeding pipe cl, these straps being secured to the bottom of the tank by screws or otherwise. The only alteration to a tank required by the placing of my improved tank-heater therein is the boring of the opening for the overflow and air-feeding pipe 0, and the tank-heater may be secured in place by merely putting it in the tank, fitting the pipe 0 into the opening provided therefor, and screwing or otherwise fastening the straps to a to the bottom of the tank.

\Vithin the box a is placed an oil-stove comprising an oil-fount e and a burner, or, as shown,two burners ff, (see Fig. 2,) suitable chimneys being provided to insure a proper combustion of the flames of the burners and a suitable frame holding said chimneys. These parts are not particularly shown, as they are of ordinary and well-known construction.

To bring the fluid in the tank as closely as possible to the flame of the burner, and also to provide for a gentle circulation of the fluid in the tank, I provide inclined conduits or pipes 7c, of which four are shown, two being inclined in one direction and two in the opposite direction, these heating-pipes being secured at their ends to the side walls of the box a and extending across the box a, from side wall to side wall thereof, directly above the tops of the chimneys of the burners f.

Above the heating-pipes k is placed a hood g g, which prevents the direct upward escape of the heated gases from the burners, causing the heated gases to move horizontally along and among the heating-pipes, and then upward in contact with the walls of the box a. This hood also radiates and reflects the heat downward upon the heating-pipes. It is shown extending horizontally across the box a above the heating-pipes 70 and its horizontal part g terminating, at one end and two sides, a short distance from the walls of the box a, and this hood has vertical extensions g g, forming a flue for the heated gases beween the vertical extensions g and the sidet and end walls of the box. At its right-hand end in Fig. 1 the hood has in its horizontal part 9 a downwardly-extending lip, and in its vertical parts 9' at its right-hand end extends toward and is secured against the side walls of the box a, so that the greater part of the heated gases is directed into the flue formed by the hood and the walls of the box, while this fine is closed on all sides, as partieularly shown in Fig. 3, and is open at the top and bottom only. As a result of this construction the heated gases, after circulating about the heating-pipes 7t and imparting a con siderable amount of their heat to the water therein, pass upward through the flue in contact with the walls of the box, thus eflectively heating these walls and the water in contact with the same.

The top of the box a is provided with a removable cover h,which, as shown, fits tightly against the sides of the box a, but leaves openings along the ends of the box for the final escape of the heated gases. A suitable bail or handle may be provided upon this cover, and the cover is preferably downwardly cured, as shown, to provide a flush finish, and also to some extent to deflect heated gases toward the closed sides, and thus tend to retain them longer within the box.

The heating-pipes and other features of my invention for utilizing the heat of the combustion at the burners may of course be employed with other than oil-burners, although particularly adapted for use with oil-burners, as shown.

The only attention required by my. im proved tank-heater after the oil-burners have been lighted is the occasional replenishment of the oil in the fount e, and to enable this to be done conveniently and safely without extinguishing the heating-flames I provide an oil-filling tube i extending upwardly from the oil-fount to the top of the box and terminating just below the cover. To fill the oil-fount it is only necessary to remove the cover and insert a funnel in the top of this oil-filling tube 71 and pour oil therein.

It will be observed that the oil fount and burners, heating-pipes and flues are shown as located near one end of the box a-the lefthand end, as shown in Fig. 1and occupying about one half the length of the box, the other half of the interior of the box being unobstructed. This construction permits ready access to the burners and wick-adj usters after simple removal of the cover 7210f the box, and also permits of the insertion and removal of the burners, fount, &e.; but, as above stated, no attention need be given to these parts under ordinary working conditions other than the occasional replenishment of the oil in the oil-fount through the oil-filling tube '5, above described. After the burners have been once lighted the tank-heater will continue to perform its work so long as there is oil in the oil-lount. A renewal of the oilsupply once every day will be sufficient under usual conditions.

The box to forms a chamber below the level of the water in the tank, and within this chamber the air will be always heated and at times quite highly heated by the flames of the burners, while the comparatively cool water of the tank will be in contact with the walls of the chamber. Under these conditions a large amount of moisture is condensed upon the walls of the box and descends to the bottom of the box, and this moisture is utilized by me for maintaining a constant immersion of the oil-fount.

hen the heater is started, it is advisable to pour enough water into the box to immerse the oil-fount c, the proper amount being readily determinable by escape through the overflow-pipe c, which is so located as to drain off the water at about the level of the top of the oil-fount, the desired level for maintaining the immersion of the fount; but with the heater in operation the condensed water which trickles down the walls of the chamber constantly renews the immersing-fluid, and in ordinary operation there is a slow and constant drip from the outer end of the overflow-pipe 0. Thus the immersion of the oilfount, preventing all danger of explosion, is automatically maintained and requires no attention whatever after starting. This feature of my invention I believe to be of great importance, as safety appliances requiring attention are frequently neglected with injurious results, whereas in my tank-heater the ordinary operation of the device necessaril y maintains the safety-insuring submergence of the oil-fount. The overflow-pipe c is also an air-feeding pipe for supplying fresh air to the burners, as under all ordinary circumstances a large air-space will exist above the very slight amount of water [lowing through this pipe. Another air-feeding pipe cl is also provided, as abovedescribed, entering the left-hand end of the box a, as shown in Fig. 1, and extending downward from near the water-level of the tank. The air entering this pipe d is somewhat moist by reason of its proximity to the water in the tank, and the air entering the chamber through the moist interior of the pipe 0 is also somewhat moist, and these conditions, coupled with the combustion of the burners which produces water as one of its products, presumably add to the amount of moisture in the chamber, and thus increase the amount of fluid'condensed within the chamber. The fount-cooling reservoir at the bottom of the box contains a comparatively large quantity of water which is in direct contact with the walls and bottom of the box a, and is thus always maintained at a low temperature and effectually prevents dangerous heating of the oil in the oil-fount.

It is of course to be understood that no high degree of heating of the water in stockfeeding tanks is aim ed at or desirable. A large body of water will usually be contained in these tanks, but according to my invention a circulation will be maintained throughout the tank by the movement of the water through the inclined heating-pipes g, and thus a uniform distribution of heat to remote parts of the tank will be effected and the water in the tank will be maintained at a temperate heat and even in the severest weather the formation of ice in the tank will be prevented. By reason of this constant maintenance of the water at a temperate heat the live stock will always have a supply of unchilled water and will drink in at least normal quantities, which they will not do with ice-cold water, and cows will give greatly-increased quantities of milk and other live stock will be improved in health, while the constant care of those in charge, especially in breaking the ice that frequently forms in unheated tanks, will be relieved.

It is, of course, evident that various modifications may be made in details of construction within the scope of my invention, and that parts of my invention may be used separately or in combinationwith other parts of different construction from that above described and shown in the drawings.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A'tank-heater having a bottom and walls to form a chamber below the level of the fluid in a tank, an oil burner and fount in said chamber, and an overflow-conduit extending from said chamber so as to drain off condensed fluids from said chamber to about the level of the top of the oil-fount, substantially as set forth.

2. A tank heater having a bottom and walls to form a chamber below the level of the fluid in a tank, an oil burner and fount in said chamber, and a combined air-feeding and overflow conduit extending from said chamber at a point near the top of the oil-fount, substantially as set forth.

3. A tank-heater having a bottom and walls to form a chamber below the level of the fluid in a tank, an oil burner and fount in said chamber, a combined air-feeding and overflow conduit extending from said chamber at a point near the top of the oil-fount, and an air-feeding conduit extending from near the water-level of the tank and entering said chamber in proximity to the burner, substantially as set forth.

4. A tank-heater having walls to form a chamber below the level of the fluid in a tank, a burner in said chamber, an inclined fluidconduit extending through said walls and across said chamber above said burner, a hood having a substantially horizontal portion above and in proximity to said inclined conduit, said hood terminating near the walls of the chamber and having upwardly-extending portions to form a flue for heated gases between the hood and the walls of the chamber, substantially as set forth.

5. In a tank-heater, in combination, the box a with closed bottom and sides to form a chamber below the level of the fluid in a tank, the cover It with openings for the escape of heated gases, the inclined heating-pipes 7c and the hood having the substantially horizontal portion g and the upwardly-extending parts g forming with the walls of the box, flues for the heated gases, substantially as set forth.

6. In a tank-heater, in combination, the box a with closed bottom and sides to form a chamber below the level of the fluid in a tank, the overflow and air-feeding pipe 0, the airfeeding pipe d, the oil-fount e and a suitable oil-burner, substantially as set forth.

7. In a tank-heater, in combination, the box a with closed bottom and sides to form a chamber below the level of the fluid in a tank, the cover h with openings for the escape of heated gases, the overflow and air-feeding pipe 0, the air-feeding pipe d, the oil-fount e and a suitable oil-burner, the inclined heating-pipes 7c and the hood having the substantially horizontal portion g and the upwardlyextending parts 9 forming with the walls of the box flues for the heated gases, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 19th day of December, 1895.

SAMUEL D. STRONG.

I11 presence of- L. B. TOMPKINS, F. E. STRONG. 

